1970 Songs in Popular Music 1970's Biggest Artists, Albums and Songs ♫ Crosby, Stills and Nash (1969 Best New Artist Grammy Winner, awarded in 1970) Their first gig was on Aug. 17, 1969 at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago , and their second gig was at Woodstock. ♫ Blood, Sweat and Tears (1969 Grammy for Album of the Year) ♫ Aquarious - The Fifth Dimension (Grammy for 1969 Record of the Year for Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In) New Artists in the Pop Charts Included: Fleetwood Mac, The Carpenters, Elton John, James Taylor, The Jackson 5, Anne Murray, Jimmy Cliff, Black Sabbath, Joni Mitchell and Quincy Jones. 1970's Retro Top 10 Hits 1. ♫ Ma Belle Amie - The Tee Set 2. ♫ 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago 3. ♫ O-O-H Child - The Five Stairsteps 4. ♫ Big Yellow Taxi - The Neighborhood 5. ♫ El Condor Pasa - Simon and Garfunkle 6.

♫ What Is Truth - Johnny Cash 7. ♫ Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum 8. ♫ The Wonder of You - Elvis Presley 9. ♫ Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon and War 10. ♫ Candida - Dawn 1970's 'One Hit Wonders' 1. ♫ O-o-h Child - The Five Stairsteps 2. ♫ Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse 3. ♫ Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman 4. ♫ Rubber Ducky - Ernie (Jim Henson) 5. ♫ Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image 6. ♫ House of the Rising Sun - Frigid Pink 7. ♫ United We Stand - Brotherhood of Man 8. ♫ Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson 9. ♫ Vehicle - Ides of March 10. ♫ Yellow River - Christie 1970's R&B/Soul Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine) - James Brown 2. ♫ Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly and the Family Stone 3.

♫ Get Ready - Rare Earth 4. ♫ I Want You Back - Jackson Five 5. ♫ I Want To Take You Higher - Sly and the Family Stone 6. ♫ Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Mircales 7. ♫ Do The Funky Chicken - Rufus Thomas 8. ♫ Love On A Two Way Street - The Moments 9. ♫ Stoned Love - The Supremes 10. ♫ Still Water (Love) - The Four Tops 1970's Pop Dance Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ ABC - Jackson Five 2. ♫ Venus - Shocking Blue 3. ♫ Band of Gold - Freda Payne 4. ♫ Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board 5. ♫ In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry 6. ♫ Montego Bay - Bobby Bloom 7. ♫ Tighter, Tighter - Alive & Kicking 8. ♫ Groove Me - Floyd King 9. ♫ Hitchin A Ride - Vanity Fare 10.

♫ War - Edwin Starr More Pop DanceSong Hits: ♫ Psychedelic Shack - The Temptations 1970's Rock n Roll Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ Let It Be - The Beatles 2. ♫ Summertime Blues - The Who 3. ♫ American Woman - Guess Who 4. ♫ Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin 5. ♫ Lola - The Kinks 6. ♫ After Midnight - Eric Clapton 7. ♫ Mississippi Queen - Mountain 8. ♫ All Right Now - Free 9. ♫ Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image 10. ♫ Roadhouse Blues - The Doors More Rock Music Hits: ♫ Funk # 49 - James Gang ♫ Uncle John's Band - Grateful Dead ♫ Paranoid - Black Sabbath ♫ Come and Get It - Badfinger ♫ Green-Eyed Lady - Sugarloaf ♫ Vehicle - The Ides of March ♫ She Came In Through the Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker ♫ Question - Moody Blues ♫ Fresh Air - Quicksilver Messenger Service 1970's Bubblegum Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ Rubber Ducky - Ernie 2.

♫ ABC - Jackson Five 3. ♫ I Think I Love You - The Partridge Family 4. ♫ Julie, Do Ya Love Me - Bobby Sherman 5. ♫ Jingle Jangle - The Archies 6. ♫ Easy Come, Easy Go - Bobby Sherman 7. ♫ Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head - B.J. Thomas 8. ♫ Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse 9. ♫ Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman 10. ♫ Yellow River - Christie PCM's 1970 Top 10 Hit List 1. ♫ I'll Be There - Jackson Five 2. ♫ (They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters 3. ♫ ABC - Jackson Five 4. ♫ Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Diana Ross 5. ♫ The Wonder Of You - Elvis Presley 6. ♫ Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 7. ♫ I Want You Back - Jackson 5 8. ♫ Evil Ways - Santana 9. ♫ 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago 10.

♫ Give Me Just a Little More Time - Chairmen of the Board Check Out the Full PCM 1970 THE KINKS - 1970 - "Lola" - YouTube THE KINKS - 1970 - "Lola" Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Sep 12, 2013 CHECK OUT THESE OTHER CHANNELS: FunnyFilms: The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, the Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock groups of the era. Their music was influenced by a wide range of genres, including rhythm and blues, British music hall, folk and country. Ray Davies (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Dave Davies (lead guitar, vocals) remained members throughout the group's 32-year run.

Longest serving member Mick Avory (drums and percussion) was replaced by Bob Henrit formerly of Argent in 1984. Original bassist Pete Quaife was replaced by John Dalton in 1969 and Dalton was in turn replaced by Jim Rodford in 1978. Keyboardist Nicky Hopkins accompanied the band during studio sessions in the mid-1960s. In 1969 keyboardist John Gosling joined the band, making them an official five-piece, while Ian Gibbons replaced him in 1979, playing in the band until its eventual demise. The Kinks first came to prominence in 1964 with their third single, "You Really Got Me", written by Ray Davies. It became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States. Between the mid-1960s and early 1970s, the group released a string of commercially and critically successful singles and LPs, and gained a reputation for songs and concept albums reflecting English culture and lifestyle, fuelled by Ray Davies' observational writing style.

Albums such as Face to Face, Something Else, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, Arthur, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround and Muswell Hillbillies, along with their accompanying singles, are considered among the most influential recordings of the period. The Kinks' subsequent theatrical concept albums met with less success, but the band experienced a revival during the late 1970s and early 1980s with albums Sleepwalker, Misfits, Low Budget, Give the People What They Want and State of Confusion. In addition, groups such as Van Halen, the Jam, the Knack and the Pretenders covered their songs, helping to boost the Kinks' record sales. In the 1990s, Britpop acts such as Blur and Oasis cited the band as a major influence. The Kinks broke up in 1996, a result of the commercial failures of their last few albums and creative tension between the Davies brothers. The Kinks had five Top 10 singles on the US Billboard chart. Nine of their albums charted in the Top 40. In the UK, the group had seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums.

Four of their albums have been certified gold by the RIAA. Among numerous honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music". In 1990, their first year of eligibility, the original four members of The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2005. Category "Lola" - The Kinks "Lola" Billboard: #9 he initial flurry of hits that the Kinks enjoyed during the British Invasion soon proved difficult to sustain. By most accounts, their live shows were often atrocious. The Kinks' stage dress of red hunting jackets and Ray Davies's limp-wristed singing style combined with brother Dave's unusually long hair to give the appearance of blatant effeminacy. Their campy appearance and name notwithstanding, they were as famous for their brawling as for their music, but it appeared that America intended to remain aloof from the Kinks' brand of showbiz. Their role in the British Invasion ended promptly when they were asked to leave the country by the American Federation of Musicians, who claimed they were not cleared to perform musical engagements in the United States.

This rather abruptly ended their love affair with America. Directly or indirectly, it had a significant effect on their popularity, and their next few singes did not perform as well as expected. "Lola," along with "Apeman," were the two singles off the Kinks' Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground, Part One. A concept album built around the story of trying to get a hit record, Lola Versus Powerman... was released in Dec. 1970, peaking at #35 on the Billboard Hot 200 and remaining on the charts for 12 weeks. All the while, Davies was becoming increasingly withdrawn and introspective. This manifested itself in his songwriting, which was steadily improving. Unfortunately, it seemed that the better the songs were, the less they sold. By August 1966, the group had its last Top 40 hit of the '60s ("Dedicated Follower of Fashion"). For the next few years, the Kinks could barely get themselves arrested, and judging from the stories of drunken behavior and violence that followed them wherever they went, it wasn't from lack of trying.

The band harbored a tendency toward self-destruction that, paradoxically, seemed to be the primary force holding them together. Then suddenly, in September 1970, an unsuspecting audience heard the chord cluster that opens "Lola." The song bluntly announced its arrival, and we were immediately drawn in. Besides a melody that is unshakable, Davies's droll delivery gradually unfurls the story of an encounter with a presumed transvestite. Initially, Lola seems to be a "forward" woman, but soon enough things start (or stop) smelling fishy, when he sings, "Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy, but when she squeezed me tight, she nearly broke my spine." By song's end, he finds himself questioning his own sexuality, singing, "Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls. It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world -- except for Lola." This wasn't normal subject matter for Top 40 radio, but it seemed that everybody loved the song. The Kinks were back, but only for a short while. The band's penchant for self-destruction once again took hold. They changed labels, from Reprise to RCA.

They fought incessantly, including a stabbing incident between brothers Ray and Dave Davies over some french fries. Ray Davies underwent an emotional collapse onstage. Although their albums would continue to charm their fans, they disappeared from the pop charts as quickly as they returned and would not appear again on the Top 40 for nearly a decade. - Thomas Ryan, The Band | The Kinks Official Website STORE The Band The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential British groups of all time, with millions of record sales and countless awards and accolades to their name. From their explosive beginnings as part of the British Beat movement to forays into concept albums, stadium rock and acoustic balladeering, The Kinks have left an unimpeachable legacy of classic songs, many of which form the building blocks of popular music as we know it today. Hailing from Muswell Hill in north London, The Kinks were formed by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Calling themselves The Ravens, an early line-up saw them playing a combination of R&B and rock and roll with friend Peter Quaife on bass. A self-produced demo tape reached record producer Shel Talmy who helped the band land a contract with Pye Records in 1964.

Before signing, the group replaced their drummer with Mick Avory and renamed themselves The Kinks. With the classic line-up in place, music history was about to be written when the group’s third, You Really Got Me, stormed to the top of the UK charts. Written by Ray in their parents’ front room, the song has since been cited as the inspiration for garage rock, punk, heavy metal and on contempories The Who. An album, The Kinks, was hastily assembled in the aftermath of the monster hit and was, in turn, swiftly followed by a second Top 10 single, All Day and All Of the Night. Between 1965-1967, The Kinks enjoyed their first commercial peak, scoring nine British and seven US chart hits. 1965′s Tired Of Waiting For You displayed Ray’s world-weary vocal style while Dave came up with a then innovatory Indian style drone guitar on See My Friends. As Ray’s songwriting developed, he emerged as a witty, compassionate social commentator, chronicling the absurdities and aspirations of English life. He took stabs at fashion victims with Dedicated Follower Of Fashion and his fellow nouveau rich pop star peers on Sunny Afternoon.

He even created a hymn to the Thames on the peerless Waterloo Sunset. Despite the Kinks’ commercial success at home, an unresolved dispute with the American Federation of Musicians during a 1965 tour, led to a ban on US appearances which lasted until 1969. So, with most UK bands looking to America’s burgeoning flower power revolution for inspiration, Ray looked no further than his back garden for his own concept album, 1968′s Village Green Preservation Society. On the album Ray developed the major themes of his work, a lament for the traditions of a near-mythical England lost among modernity. The album was overlooked by the British record-buying public and one of the Kinks’ most artistically successful albums slipped away. Fortunately, subsequent years have seen it grow in stature and it’s now recognised as one of the most important British albums ever released. The loftily named follow up, Arthur – The Decline and Fall of the British Empire, addressed similar themes, portraying an English family looking back over their experiences before emigrating to Australia featuring the oft-covered Victoria. The mood lightened a little with the monster 1970 hit single Lola.

1971′s Muswell Hillbillies album echoed Village Green’s collection of storybook vignettes and the single Supersonic Rocketship from Everybody’s In Showbiz went Top 20 in 1972 while Celluloid Heroes from the same album became a live favourite . The remainder of the ’70s found our heroes tackling a dazzling array of real-life themes and situations with the bands four concept albums, Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, Soap Opera and Schoolboys in Disgrace. While the UK hits dried up, their sizeable following in the US brought them commercial rewards and, in 1977, a Top 30 album in the form of Sleepwalker. Two years later the band released the hard rock Low Budget album and became belated rock stars in America, gaining a sizeable chunk of the stadium rock circuit, selling out Madison Square Gardens. The Americans also lapped up early 80′s albums Give The People What they Want and State Of Confusion which featured the hit singles Better Things and Destroyer. The Kinks even found themselves back in the UK charts with 1983ís, Come Dancing.

For many years The Kinks had been receiving reverential nods from the rock fraternity, all of which increased their cachet with wave after wave of new bands and musicians. In 1978 The Jam had covered David Watts while The Pretenders had their first UK hit with a version of Stop Your Sobbing. Biggest of all was Kirsty McColl’s breathtaking take on Days. Through the 90s, The Kinks garnered a whole new generation of fans as yet another wave of British musicians paid tribute to the band. Blur’s Damon Albarn in particular acknowledged Davies as a key influence as did Noel and Liam from Oasis. With The Kinks on hiatus since 1996 Ray and Dave Davies continued to record and tour their own acclaimed solo albums. Despite intermittent rumours to the contrary throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, ill-health scuppered plans for a reunion of the original line-up. Sadly, Peter Quaife, who had been receiving kidney dialysis for more than ten years, died on 23rd June 2010.

Ray Davies dedicated his June 27th performance at the Glastonbury festival to his honour, telling the crowd, “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him” Lola (1970) - 25 Classic Songs That Were Once Banned - Purple Clover Like Purple Clover on Facebook Follow Purple Clover on Twitter Entertainment 25 Classic Songs That Were Once Banned From raunchy and provocative to mild and misunderstood, an eclectic playlist of singles that radio stations refused to give airtime by John Birmingham Tags: music 24 / 26 From raunchy and provocative to mild and misunderstood, here are our favorite singles that radio stations refused to play. Tonight's the Night (1976) Topping the charts 40 years ago, Rod Stewart coaxed the multilingual Swedish actress Britt Ekland, then his girlfriend, into cooing and whispering in French à la Jane Birkin at the end of "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)." Some radio stations simply edited that part out, Others blanched at the none-too-subtle lyrics ("Spread your wings and let me come inside") and blacklisted the song altogether.

Happiness Is a Warm Gun (1968) Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney called this track from the White Album one of their favorite Beatles songs, but the BBC didn't share their enthusiasm. The British broadcaster banned it on the grounds that "gun" was a phallic symbol. True enough, but Lennon actually took the title from an American gun magazine. "I thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say," he said. "A warm gun means that you just shot something." Star Star (1973) No symbolism in this one. Between the unambiguous lyrics ("Yeah, Ali MacGraw got mad with you/For givin' head to Steve McQueen") and the catchy chorus (which repeats "star f*****" 12 times), the Rolling Stones practically begged for "Star Star" to be censored. Not that everyone was outraged. According to a recent biography, an amused Steve McQueen gave the Stones permission to use his name. Only the Good Die Young (1977) A Catholic university radio station initiated a boycott of this Billy Joel single, which includes the lines: "You Catholic girls start much too late/But sooner or later it comes down to fate/I might as well be the one").

The move backfired. "The minute the kids found out it was banned, they ran out in droves and it became a huge hit," Joel later recalled, noting that the girl in the song—inspired by his high school crush—remains a virgin. Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead (1939) In April 2013, a week after Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died, this upbeat ditty from 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" became an unlikely hit, reaching No. 2 on the British charts—despite a ban by the BBC, which later explained that the song was "clearly a celebration of death." Brown-Eyed Girl (1967) Van Morrison changed the original title from "Brown-Skinned Girl," which wouldn't have gone over well, particularly in the South. (When the song was written, interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 mostly Southern states.) But after hearing the line about "making love in the green grass," some radio stations banned "Brown-Eyed Girl" anyway.

Love Me Two Times (1967) Later the same year, the Doors' sexy second single from "Strange Days" was banned by a number of radio stations—notably one in New Haven, Connecticut, where frontman Jim Morrison became the first rock star ever to be taken into custody in the middle of a performance. Police charged him with obscenity and incitement to riot. Leader of the Pack (1964) A No. 1 hit for the Shangi-Las, this archetype of the "teenage tragedy" genre recounts a breakup that leads to the death of the singer's biker boyfriend. Ominous lyrics ("Look out! Look out! Look out! Look out!") are accompanied by the rumble of a Harley, and some broadcasters refused to play the song because they felt it glorified motorcycle gangs. Love to Love You Baby (1975) Donna Summer simulated 22 orgasms in this song (Time magazine kept a tally), but one would have been plenty for the BBC, which promptly banned it. In 1992, Summer spoke to the Guardian about the sensation sparked by her record. "Everyone's asking, 'Were you alone in the studio?'" she said.

"Yes, I was alone in the studio. 'Did you touch yourself?' Yes, well, actually, I had my hand on my knee." Je T'aime ... Moi Non Plus (1969) Donna Summer had nothing on Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. With the release of this single , many were persuaded that the European couple had actually recorded themselves having sex. (If that were the case, Gainsbourg said, he hoped "it would have been a long-playing record.") Although banned in several countries, it eventually sold more than 4 million copies. Summer put out a disco version in 1978. Wake Up Little Susie (1957) Back in the '50s, it didn't take much to get banned in Boston. Case in point, this No. 1 hit for the Everly Brothers, refused airplay by some radio stations because it raised the question: What were those kids doing before they fell asleep? Of course, times change. In 2000, presidential candidate and born-again Christian George W. Bush said "Wake Up Little Susie" was his favorite song.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1952) Jimmy Boyd was just 13 when he recorded this holiday hit, about a boy who wakes up to see Mom and Dad (in a Santa costume) under the mistletoe on Christmas Eve. Sweet, huh? Not to the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, which denounced the song for suggesting a link between Christmas and sex. A local radio boycott ended only after the freckle-faced singer met with church leaders. Photo: YouTube Justfy My Love (1990) Madonna is "yearning, burning" in the song, but it's the arty black-and-white video —a stylish blend of voyeurism, anonymous sex and sadomasochism—that provoked a ban by MTV. Of course, the Queen of Pop lives for this stuff. As celebrity biographer Mark Bego told Entertainment Weekly, "Throwing a scandal Madonna's way is like throwing gasoline on a fire." My Generation (1965) "Why don't you all f-f-f-fade away," sings Roger Daltry in the Who's baby boomer anthem (No. 11 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time).

But it wasn't the sly suggestion of another F-word—or even the nihilism of "Hope I die before I get old"—that triggered a BBC ban. The broadcaster just feared that "My Generation" would be offensive to stutterers. Great Balls of Fire (1957) Jerry Lee Lewis, who attended Bible school in Texas, was himself uncomfortable with the sexual overtones of this rock and roll classic, and it didn't help that "great balls of fire" was a down-home expression considered blasphemous by Southern Christians. Still, the radio ban wasn't widespread. But soon after that, Lewis was blacklisted nationwide when the press learned he had married his 13-year-old cousin. Louie Louie (1963) The dirtiest song of the '60s? The New Yorker recently posed that question about the Kingsmen's incomprehensible garage-rock anthem, Many radio stations refused to play "Louie Louie," and the FBI studied the song to determine if its elusive lyrics were obscene. What they heard: "At night at ten/I lay her again/F*** you.

girl, oh/All the way." Actual lyrics: "Three nights and days, I sailed the sea/Me think of girl, ah, constantly." "Love Is a Good Thing" (1996) Every day was a winding road for Sheryl Crow back in the '90s. Her debut album "Tuesday Night Music Club" won three Grammys and sold 7 millions copies, Then, in 1996, Wal-Mart refused to carry her self-titled second album because of this track, which criticized the retail giant's gun policy. Today "Sheryl Crow" is certified triple-platinum. Wal-Mart recently stopped selling the kind of weapons used in mass shootings. Strange Fruit (1939) Based on a 1937 poem protesting the lynching of African-American men in the South, this Billie Holiday signature song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. But in 1939, Columbia Records wouldn't let Lady Day record it, and when another label finally released "Strange Fruit," radio stations refused to give it airplay. Even so, it would become Holiday's best-selling single.

Gloria (1964) Also in the Grammy Hall of Fame, this Van Morrison song—written when he was lead singer of Them—scared off Chicago radio stations with lines like: "She comes around here/Just about midnight/She make me feel so good, Lord/I wanna say she makes me feel all right." Two years later the Shadows of Knight, a Chicago proto-punk band, toned down the lyrics and turned the garage-rock classic into a Top 10 hit. Rocky Mountain High (1973) In 1971, the FCC ordered broadcasters to quit airing songs that "promote or glorify the use of illegal drugs." Erring on the side of caution, many decided not to play "Rocky Mountain High," John Denver's tribute to his home state of Colorado, solely because of the last word in the title.

Denver eventually testified before Congress and said, "This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains." Timothy (1970) This one is unusual in that Rupert Holmes—now best known for 1979's "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)"—wrote it for an unknown group with the hope that their debut single would be banned. He got his wish. "Timothy," a song about trapped miners who resort to cannibalism, gained enough attention to break into the Top 20, and the Buoys, a band Holmes had discovered, emerged as a one-hit wonder. Walk Like an Egyptian (1986) Two days after 9/11, the radio giant Clear Channel (now known as iHeartMedia) sent a memo citing "lyrically questionable" songs to its 1,000-plus stations. The titles ran the gamut, from Peter, Paul and Mary's "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" to Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire." But the Bangles' harmless confection "Walk Like an Egyptian" stood out and helped discredit the entire list.

Lola (1970) The transgender theme was decades ahead of its time and controversial enough to provoke a ban in Australia. But the BBC found another reason to boycott "Lola" —a line about "Coca-Cola," which violated its rules against product placement. The Kinks were on tour at the time, but frontman Ray Davies flew home to London to change the lyric to "cherry cola" in time for the release of the single. Kodachrome (1973) The BBC's policy against product endorsement also applied to this Paul Simon hit, which received only minimal exposure in the U.K. because its title is a registered trademark. Meanwhile, some U.S.

radio stations refused to play the song because of the word "crap" in its memorable opening line: "When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school/it's a wonder I can think at all." God Only Knows (1966) Brian Wilson claimed that musicians on hand for the recording of "God Only Knows" called those studio sessions "the most magical, beautiful musical experiences they've ever heard." Still, many radio stations, viewing the use of "God" as blasphemous, boycotted the Beach Boys' heartfelt ballad.

Wilson had anticipated the reaction and nearly changed the title and lyrics, but in the end decided to stick with what he said was "a spiritual word." June 3, 1970: Ray Davies flies 6,000 miles in a day to re-record one line in the Kinks hit ‘Lola’ - BT News Headlines June 3, 1970: Ray Davies flies 6,000 miles in a day to re-record one line in the Kinks hit ‘Lola’ A ban on product advertising on the BBC prompted Kinks frontman Ray Davies to fly from New York to London and back to overdub two words in the group's controversial comeback hit. Print this story In an age when band members don’t even have to be in the same city to record an album together, it seems remarkable that a pop star would travel 6,000 miles in 24 hours to re-record two words of a song.

But that’s exactly what happened on this day in 1970 when Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks, flew from New York to London and back again to overdub a line in the band’s upcoming single release Lola so that it could be played by the BBC. It was unquestionably a pivotal time in the Kinks’ career. Their previous two albums, while critically respected, had failed to sell well, and they had not had a top 20 single hit in over two years. Davies, determined to regain chart success, had deliberately set out to write a hit when penning Lola. Furthermore, after the single was recorded and promotional copies distributed to radio stations, the band had begun playing some tour dates in the US – keen to restore their profile there after a ban on them entering the country was lifted in late 1969. Lola was, to an extent, a controversial single anyway, as its lyrics dealt tongue-in-cheek with a hapless man getting involved in a romantic encounter with a possible transvestite – but this was not the cause of the BBC boycott and Davies’ transatlantic journey.

The BBC had at that time a strict policy banning advertising or product placement, and the song’s line “it tastes just like Coca-Cola” was deemed inappropriate. Desperate for the single to receive as much airplay as it could – but also wanting to disrupt their American renaissance as little as possible - Davies arranged his hasty trip to London to replace the offending words with “cherry cola”, returning to the Big Apple in time for the band’s next gig the following evening. His effort and trouble proved worth it – Lola got its airplay, and became the band’s biggest hit in years, peaking at No.2 in the UK, No.9 in the US and topping the charts in a number of European countries. Were you a fan of The Kinks? Do you think they would have had success similar to that of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones if they had not been banned from the US? Let us know in the Comments section below. The Kinks – Did you know?

The Kinks were formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, London by Ray Davies (guitar, lead vocals), his teenage brother Dave (lead guitar) and his classmate Pete Quaife (bass guitar, replaced by John Dalton in 1969). Drummer Mick Avory joined in 1964. Prior to Ray Davies taking over vocal duties, the fledgling band went through a series of singers, the most notable of whom was fellow North Londoner Rod Stewart. The name Kinks was coined by one of the band’s managers, Robert Wace or Larry Page – recollections differ – and was a reflection of their outrageous dress sense. The band apparently never liked the name. The Kinks broke through with their third single, You Really Got Me, which featured a distorted guitar riff played by Dave Davies – the rough sound made by slashing the speaker cone of his amplifier. The song has been called a major influence on hard rock. In mid-1965, the American Federation of Musicians refused to issue the band permits to perform in the US, effectively cutting off a major market.

Many reasons have been mooted for the ban, including their bad onstage behaviour, but no official reason was ever given. The ban was at least partially responsible for the shift in Davies’ songwriting to a more narrative, inward-looking and obviously British style, which would show in singles such as Dead End Street and critically-acclaimed album The Village Green Preservation Society. Lola was said to be based on an experience of manager Robert Wace in a Soho club. Davies created the intro riff, redolent of the band’s Dedicated Follower of Fashion, by doubling a normal acoustic guitar with a National Steel resonator guitar. According to one biographer, Davies was forced to repeat his speedy transatlantic trip to re-record a line in the band’s next single Apeman. The line "the air pollution is a-foggin' up my eyes" was misinterpreted as swearing by radio stations. The Kinks on Apple Music To preview a song, mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to buy and download music. Biography Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion.

Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop, as well as incorporating elements of country, folk, and blues. Throughout their long, varied career, the core of the Kinks remained Ray (born June 21, 1944) and Dave Davies (born February 3, 1947), who were born and raised in Muswell Hill, London. In their teens, the brothers began playing skiffle and rock & roll. Soon, the brothers recruited a schoolmate of Ray's, Peter Quaife, to play with them; like the Davies brothers, Quaife played guitar, but he switched to bass. By the summer of 1963, the group had decided to call itself the Ravens and had recruited a new drummer, Mickey Willet. Eventually, their demo tape reached Shel Talmy, an American record producer who was under contract to Pye Records. Talmy helped the band land a contract with Pye in 1964.

Before signing to the label, the Ravens replaced drummer Willet with Mick Avory. The Ravens recorded their debut single, a cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," in January 1964. Before the single was released, the group changed their name to the Kinks. "Long Tall Sally" was released in February of 1964 and it failed to chart, as did their second single, "You Still Want Me." The band's third single, "You Really Got Me," was much noisier and dynamic, featuring a savage, fuzz-toned two-chord riff and a frenzied solo from Dave Davies. Not only was the final version the blueprint for the Kinks' early sound, but scores of groups used the heavy, power chords as a foundation. "You Really Got Me" reached number one within a month of its release; released on Reprise in the U.S., the single climbed into the Top Ten. "All Day and All of the Night," the group's fourth single, was released late in 1964 and it rose all the way to number two; in America, it hit number seven. During this time, the band also produced two full-length albums and several EPs.

Not only was the group recording at a breakneck pace, they were touring relentlessly, as well, which caused much tension within the band. At the conclusion of their summer 1965 American tour, the Kinks were banned from re-entering the United States by the American government for unspecified reasons. For four years, the Kinks were prohibited from returning to the U.S., which not only meant that the group was deprived of the world's largest music market, but that they were effectively cut off from the musical and social upheavals of the late '60s. Consequently, Ray Davies' songwriting grew more introspective and nostalgic, relying more on overtly English musical influences such as music hall, country, and English folk, than the rest of his British contemporaries. The Kinks' next album, The Kink Kontroversy, demonstrated the progression in Davies' songwriting. "Sunny Afternoon" was one of Davies' wry social satires and the song was the biggest hit of the summer of 1966 in the U.K., reaching number one. "Sunny Afternoon" was a teaser for the band's great leap forward, Face to Face, a record that featured a vast array of musical styles.

In May of 1967, they returned with "Waterloo Sunset," a ballad that reached number two in the U.K. in the spring of 1967. Released in the fall of 1967, Something Else by the Kinks continued the progressions of Face to Face. Despite the Kinks' musical growth, their chart performance was beginning to stagnate. Following the lackluster performance of Something Else, the Kinks rushed out a new single, "Autumn Almanac," which became another big U.K. hit for the band. Released in the spring of 1968, the Kinks' "Wonderboy" was the band's first single not to crack the Top Ten since "You Really Got Me." They recovered somewhat with "Days," but the band's commercial decline was evident by the lack of success of their next LP. Released in the fall of 1968, The Village Green Preservation Society was the culmination of Ray Davies' increasingly nostalgic tendencies. While the album was unsuccessful, it was well received by critics, particularly in the U.S.

Peter Quaife soon grew tired of the band's lack of success, and he left the band by the end of the year, being replaced by John Dalton. In early 1969, the American ban upon the Kinks was lifted, leaving the band free to tour the U.S. for the first time in four years. Before they began the tour, the Kinks released Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). Like its two predecessors, Arthur contained distinctly British lyrical and musical themes, but it was a modest success. As they were recording the follow-up to Arthur, the Kinks expanded their lineup to include keyboardist John Gosling. The first appearance of Gosling on a Kinks record was "Lola." Featuring a harder rock foundation than their last few singles, "Lola" was a Top Ten hit in both the U.K. and the U.S. Released in the fall of 1970, Lola vs. the Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One was their most successful record since the mid-'60s in both the U.S. and U.K., helping the band become concert favorites in the U.S.

The band's contract with Pye/Reprise expired in early 1971, leaving the Kinks free to pursue a new record contract. By the end of 1971, the Kinks had secured a five-album deal with RCA Records, which brought them a million dollar advance. Released in late 1971, Muswell Hillbillies, the group's first album for RCA, marked a return to the nostalgia of the Kinks' late-'60s albums, only with more pronounced country and music hall influences. The album failed to be the commercial blockbuster RCA had hoped for. A few months after the release of Muswell Hillbillies, Reprise released a double-album compilation called The Kink Kronikles, which outsold their RCA debut. Everybody's in Showbiz (1973), a double-record set consisting of one album of studio tracks and another of live material, was a disappointment in the U.K., although the album was more successful in the U.S. In 1973, Ray Davies composed a full-blown rock opera called Preservation.

When the first installment of the opera finally appeared in late 1973, it was harshly criticized and given a cold reception from the public. Act 2 appeared in the summer of 1974; the sequel received worse treatment than its predecessor. Davies began another musical, Starmaker, for the BBC; the project eventually metamorphosed into Soap Opera, which was released in the spring of 1975. Despite poor reviews, Soap Opera was a more commercially successful record than its predecessor. In 1976, the Kinks recorded Davies' third straight rock opera, Schoolboys in Disgrace, which rocked harder than any album they released on RCA. During 1976, the Kinks left RCA and signed with Arista Records. On Arista, the band refashioned themselves as a hard rock band. Bassist John Dalton left the group near the completion of their debut Arista album; he was replaced by Andy Pyle. Sleepwalker, the Kinks' first album for Arista, became a major hit in the U.S. As the band was completing the follow-up to Sleepwalker, Pyle left the group and was replaced by the returning Dalton.

Misfits, the band's second Arista album, was also a U.S. success. After a British tour, Dalton left the band again, along with keyboardist John Gosling; bassist Jim Rodford and keyboardist Gordon Edwards filled the vacancies. Soon, the band was playing arenas in the United States. Even though punk rockers like the Jam and the Pretenders were covering Kinks songs in the late '70s, the group was becoming more blatantly commercial with each release, culminating in the heavy rock of Low Budget (1979), which became the group's biggest American success, peaking at number 11. The Kinks' next album, Give the People What They Want, appeared in late 1981; the record peaked at number 15 and went gold. For most of 1982, the band was on tour. In spring of 1983, "Come Dancing" became the group's biggest American hit since "Tired of Waiting for You," thanks to the video's repeated exposure on MTV; in the U.S., the song peaked at number six, in the U.K. it climbed to number 12.

State of Confusion followed the release of "Come Dancing," and it was another success, peaking at number 12 in the U.S. For the remainder of 1983, Ray Davies worked on a film project, Return to Waterloo, which caused considerable tension between himself and his brother. Instead of breaking up, the Kinks merely reshuffled their lineup, but there was a major casualty: Mick Avory, the band's drummer for 20 years, was fired and replaced by Bob Henrit. As Ray finished post-production duties on Return to Waterloo, he wrote the next Kinks album, Word of Mouth. Released in late 1984, the album was similar in tone to the last few Kinks records, but it was a commercial disappointment and began a period of decline for the band; they never released another record that cracked the Top 40. Word of Mouth was the last album they would record for Arista Records. In early 1986, the band signed with MCA Records in the U.S., London in the U.K. Think Visual, their first album for their new label, was released in late 1986.

It was a mild success but there were no hit singles from the record. The following year, the Kinks released another live album, appropriately titled The Road, which spent a brief time on the charts. Two years later, the Kinks released their last studio record for MCA, UK Jive. During 1989, keyboardist Ian Gibbons left the band. The Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, but the induction did not help revive their career. In 1991, a compilation of their MCA records, Lost & Found (1986-1989), appeared, signalling that their contract with the label had expired. Later in the year, the band signed with Columbia Records and released an EP called Did Ya, which didn't chart. The Kinks' first album for Columbia, Phobia, arrived in 1993 to fair reviews but poor sales. By this time, only Ray and Dave Davies remained from the original lineup.

In 1994, the band was dropped from Columbia Records, leaving the group to release the live To the Bone on an independent label in the U.K.; the band was left without a record label in the U.S. Despite a lack of commercial success, the band's public profile began to rise in 1995, as the group was hailed as an influence on several of the most popular British bands of the decade, including Blur and Oasis. Ray Davies was soon on popular television shows again, acting as these band's godfather and promoting his autobiography, X-Ray, which was published in early 1995 in the U.K. Dave Davies' autobiography, Kink, was published in the spring of 1996. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Top Albums Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Vol. 1 - The Kinks | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Vol. 1 AllMusic Rating google+ AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine "Lola" gave the Kinks an unexpected hit and its crisp, muscular sound, pitched halfway between acoustic folk and hard rock, provided a new style for the band.

However, the song only hinted at what its accompanying album Lola Versus the Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One was all about. It didn't matter that Ray Davies just had his first hit in years -- he had suffered greatly at the hands of the music industry and he wanted to tell the story in song. Hence, Lola -- a loose concept album about Ray Davies ' own psychosis and bitter feelings toward the music industry. Davies never really delivers a cohesive story, but the record holds together because it's one of his strongest set of songs. Dave Davies contributes the lovely "Strangers" and the appropriately paranoid "Rats," but this is truly Ray ' show, as he lashes out at ex-managers (the boisterous vaudevillian "The Moneygoround"), publishers ("Denmark Street"), TV and music journalists (the hard-hitting "Top of the Pops"), label executives ("Powerman"), and, hell, just society in general ("Apeman," "Got to Be Free"). If his wit wasn't sharp, the entire project would be insufferable, but the album is as funny as it is angry.

Furthermore, he balances his bile with three of his best melancholy ballads: "This Time Tomorrow," "A Long Way From Home," and the anti-welfare and union "Get Back in Line," which captures working-class angst better than any other rock song. These songs provide the spine for a wildly unfocused but nonetheless dazzling tour de force that reveals Ray 's artistic strengths and endearing character flaws in equal measure. Track Listing

Question: Which pop group had a hit in 1970 with 'Lola'?
Answer: THE KINKS